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Top 100 DJs / 24. John O’Callaghan

2009
24
John O’Callaghan
Moved Up

24. John O’Callaghan

Style: Uplifting energetic trance and tech trance
Best known for: 'Big Sky'
Gig of 2009: Trance Energy in Holland
Tune of 2009: John O'Callaghan feat Sarah Howells 'Find Yourself' (Armada)
Breakthrough DJ/Producer of 2009: Jordan Suckley. His skill and love for DJing is infectious.
The track that changed your life: Mauro Picotto's 'Lizard'. That's when my dance music interest went from a hobby to an obsession.
What makes a good DJ great: Knowing what tracks to play at the right time.
Most underrated DJ: Guiseppe Ottaviani - technically he may not be a DJ but he performs in clubs like every other DJ and plays all his tracks live.
Biggest challenge this year: Making my artist album.
Top tech toy: The new MacBook Pro, for the six-hour batteries.

Amiable Irish trance DJ John O'Callaghan is as happy to sing the praises of other DJs and producers as he is to receive his own accolades. Talking about his summer smash 'Find Yourself' featuring Sarah Howells, it's the 'Cosmic Gate Remix' he's keen to flag up.

Although John is at ease delivering big room slayers from his Dublin studio, the task of producing his own artist album, 'Never Fade Away', this year was more of a challenge.

"To sit down and write 11 new tracks and come up with new melodies and vocals and spend all that time in the studio was quite daunting," says John. "But it was very enjoyable in the end."

In fact, John already has ideas bubbling away for a follow-up that he'll start next year for release in 2011.

John plays out every single weekend of the year, not that he's complaining.

"I'm very happy to have this job, it's an absolute privilege, and I enjoy every second of it. The only hard bit is travelling, but apart from that everything else is amazing."

Playing this year's Trance Energy festival, in Holland, was extra special, he says.

"I played on the main stage and the production and the lighting was just unbelievable. A load of people from Ireland came over and it really was the gig of a lifetime."

He also achieved another personal best by making his debut at Ibiza club Amnesia for Cream.

"It's a Mecca for a lot of DJs and it was a milestone for me."

Words: Helene Stokes

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